Railway-truck.



A. M. CLARK. RAILWAY TRU GK. V APPLIOATIONPILED 11111118, 1910. l 988,478. Patented 1161111911.

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RAILWAY TRUCK.

APPLIGATION FILED lJUN? s, 1910.

vPatented Feb. 7, 1911.

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RAILWAY TRUCK. APPLICATION FILED JUNE a, 1910.

Patented Feb; 7, 1911.

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A. M. CLARK.

RAILWAY TRUUK.

APPLXOATION FILED JUNE a, 1910.

Patented Feb. 7, 1911.

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ALBERT M. CLARK, OF MRSHALLTOWN, IOWA.

RAILVJAY-TRUCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 7, 191i.

Application filed .Tune 8, 1910. Serial No. 565,881.

To all whom 'it may concern.

Be it known that I, ALBERT M. CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marshalltown, in the county of Marshall and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Railway-Truck, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates t0A that class of railway trucks in which the forward and rear axles of the truck may move to position out of parallelism with each other so that the flange wheels of the truck may pass around a curved portion of a railway track without binding against the rails.

My object is to provide a truck of this class of simple, durable and inexpensive construction in which the Wheel axles are yieldingly held by spring pressure in parallel position.

More specifically in this connection it is my object to provide a number of extensible coil springs so arranged that when the axles are moved out of parallelism all of the springs are compressed and, hence, all tend to move the axles to parallel positions.

A. further object is to provide improved means for cushioning` the bolster and equally distributing the weight when the truck is in any position of its movement.

My invention consists in certain details, in the construction, arrangement and combina tion of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a top or plan view of a truck embodying my invention, part of the bolster being removed and the lower half of the ligure being shown in section on a line through the alining springs. Fig. 2 shows an end elevation of my improved truck, the right side of said figure being shown in vertical, transverse, central, section and a portion of the right side of the figure being shown on a section line through the outer end of the alining bar. Fig. 3 shows a side elevation of a truck embodying my invention. Fig. lshows an inverted plan view of a truck embodying my invention with a portion of the lower truck plate broken away to show the connecting bar and bolster pin. l'n said figure the axles are shown on divergent angles. Fig. 5 shows a top or plan view of a truck embodying my invention with the bolster removed and a part of the Lipper truck plate broken away to show the connecting bar and bolster pin. ln this figure the axles are also shown on divergent planes. Fig. 6 shows an enlarged, detail, sectional view taken on the line 6&6 of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 shows a detail, sectional view on the line 7-7 of Fig. l to illustrate the hanger for the supporting bar. Fig. 8 shows a detail, sectional view on the line 8-8 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 9 shows a sectional view on the line 9-9 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, my improved truck is composed of two rectangular truck frames 10, each of which has a wheel axle 11 mounted therein in the ordinary way and provided with two flanged wheels 12 of ordinary construction. Tn this connection it is obvious that no change of principle is necessary in order to place a. number of parallel axles in each of the truck frames. The ends of the axles are inserted in bearing boxes 13 which are supported by frame braces 14. At the center of each truck frame is a supporting plate 15 and the truck frames are connected with each other by means of a connecting bar 16, which bar is pivoted centrally to each truck frame by a bolster pin 17. By this means the frames are permitted to move relative to each other' to positions with the axles parallel with or on diverged angles but the central portions of the frames are prevented from movement toward or away from each other.

At the central portion of the truck is a device comprising an upper and a lower truck plate which are united with each other and are stationary as against pivotal movement such as is permitted to the truck frame. This upper truck plate is indicated by the numeral 18 and the lower one by the numeral 19. rlhe upper truck plate has a central opening to receive the connecting bolster pin hereinafter described and it is also provided at each end with a guide bolt 2O extended downwardly. The flower truck plate is also provided with a central opening to receive a bolster pin and at each end is a fixed sleeve 21. These sleeves are designed to receive the guide bolts 2O and to permit a slight up and down movement of the upper plate relative to the lower one and yet hold the upper and lower plates firmly in vertical alinement with each other. The ends of the lower truck plate extend outwardly beyond the wheels as shown in Fig. 2 and they are provided with spring plates 22 at their outer end. Each of these spring plates has two bolster spring bolts 23 extended through it, as shown in Fig. 8, and on each bolt is an extensible coil spring Above the upper truck plate 18 is a bolster 25 through which the bolts 23 are slidingly extended so that the weight applied to the bolster is cushioned by said springs as appied to the spring plates on the lower truck a ate.

l At the center of the bolster is the bolster pin 26, shown in Fig. 2, which extends through both the upper and lower truck plates and also through a slot 27 in the connecting bar as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. At each end of the bolster and the lower truck plate I provide a guide bolt 28 which extends through the bolster and through the lower truck plate and on the lower end thereof is a nut 29 to limit the upward movement of the bolster.

For the purpose of equally distributing the weight applied upon the lower truck plate to both truck frames, I have provided the supporting bars illustrated in Fig. 8. These bars 30 are preferably arched at their outer port-ions to extend around the bearing boxes 13 and at their inner ends they are forked and extended above and below the adjacent portions of the lower truck plate to which they are pivotally connected by means of the bolster spring bolts 23. By this arrangement it is. obvious that a slight pivotal movement will be permitted to the supporting bars in a horizontal planeA suoli as is necessary to allow the truck frames to move to position out of parallelism as when rounding a curve in the track. I connect the said supporting bars with the truck frames as follows: On each end of each truck frame are two pivoted hangers 31 hav ing their lower ends extended outwardly and then upwardly to receive the supporting bar and to which said hangers are pivotally connected by means of the bolts 32. In this manner the ends of the truck frames are permitted to swing toward and from each other and at the saine time. to support the supporting bars when in any position of their movement.

By means of the construction above de scribed, it is obvious that I have provided a truck frame of simple, strong and durable construction in which the weight' upon the bolster is evenly distributed upon the truck frame and in which the truck frames may move to positions slightly divergent from each other as required in rounding a curved track without having the wheel flanges bind thereon. v

It is desirable in a device of this kind to provide means for normally. and yiel'dingly holding the truck frames in parallel positions so that when running along on a the wheel flanges to bind on the track. My improved means for accomplishing this result is as follows: On each end of each truck I have provided two bearings 33 and 34 to slidingly support an alining bar. The alining bar 35 is pivoted at one end by means of a bolt 3G to the upper truck plate 18 and it is pro-vided with a reduced end portion at 37. IVithin the bearing member 33 is an angular sleeve 38 through which the reduced portion of the alining bar is extended and a nut 39 is placed on the outer end of the alining bar to engage said sleeve. Mounted on the central portion of the alining bar are two washers 40 and 41 and an extensible coil spring 42 is placed on the alining bar with its ends engaging said washers. rIhe outward movement of the washer 40 is limited by the stationary bearing member 33 and said washer also engages the angular sleeve 38. The inward movement of the washer 41 is limited by a 'shoulder on the alining bar and also by the bearing member 34. By means of this spring actuated-alining device the wheels are normally held in line with each other so that they may run freely on a straight track; then when the truck approaches a curved track the ends of the truck frames on one side will move toward each other and on i' the other side away from each other as illustrated in Fig. 5. Inside of the truck in which the truck frames move toward 'each other as at the bottom of Fig. 5, the springs will be compressed on account of the bearing members 33 engaging the washers 40 and forcing them to-ward the center of the truck. At the same time the shoulder on the alining bars against which the washers 41 rest will hold said washer against inward movement so that each spring is compressed between two washers 4() and 41. During this same movement the springs on the opposite side will also be compressed as shown at the top in Fig. 5 as follows: The bearing members 34 will move outwardly away from each other and they will thus force the washers 41 outwardly and compress the springs between the washers 41 at one end and the washers 40 in engagement with the sleeves 38 at the other end so that all four springs are compressed and their resiliency tends to straighten out the truck so that the wheels are in alinement and the axles parallel. come broken or fail to operate in the proper` manner the other springs will all tend to keep the truck wheels in alinement, or even if all of the springs were removed the truck would ride upon track rails except that there would likely be slight friction at times between the flanges and sides of the rail. It is intended that when in use the alining` springs shall be of suiiicient resiliency to overcome the friction caused by the weight If any one of the springs should bellO of a car on the bolster and move the truck frames against this friction to position with the axles parallel. By referring to Fig. 5 the necessity for pivoting the inner ends of the alining bars to the upper truck plate 18 is made obvious and by referring to Fig. 4 it will be seen that it is essential to have the supporting bars 8O pivoted at their' inner ends to the lower truck plate 19.

ln practical operation it is obvious that the truck wheels are normally held in alinement by the means described and that the truck frames may move to positions with the axles' on divergent planes when the wheel fianges engage with a curved track. F urthermore the weight of the car upon the hangers tends to keep the wheels in alinement independent of the action of the springs, and furthermore the weight of the car thereon is wholly upon the central bolster and from the central bolster it is distributed equally upon the end portions of both truck frames by means of the supporting bars 30 andl the hangers 31. The weight is also cushioned between the bolster and the truck frames by the bolster springs 24. By having' the central portions of both truck frames pivotally connected with the connecting bar it is obvious that the central port-ions of the truck frames are held in proper relative positions so that if the frames move toward each other at one end they must be separated a corresponding distance at the other end. By having each spring` provided with washers at its ends that are designed to engage the stationary bearing members on the trucks each of said springs itself tends to normally hold the truck frames with their axles parallel so that if any one spring were broken or if they were of unequal resiliency the truck frames would be held with their axles parallel at all times as, in order to get them out of parallelism, it is necessary to first apply pressure to the truck frames suflicient to overcome the resiliency of any one of the springs.

l claim as my invention:

4l. In a device of the class described, the combination of two truck frames, an axle in each, flanged wheels on each axle, means for pivotally connecting the centers of said truck frames, a central truck plate, alining bars connected therewith and springs between the alining bars and the adjacent ends of the truck frames arranged to normally hold the truck frames in position with their axles parallel.

2. in a device of the class described, the combination of two truck frames, an axle in each, fianged wheels on each axle, means for pivotally connecting the centers of said truck frames, a central truck plate, alining bars connected therewith, and springs between the alining bar and the adjacent ends of the truck frames arranged to normally hold the truck frames in position with their axles parallel, said springs being so arranged that when the truck frames are moved to position with their axles on divergent angles, the tension will be applied to all of said springs tending to return the truck iframes to positions with their axles parallel.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of two truck frames, an axle in each, flanged wheels on each axle, a central truclr plate, two alining bars pivoted to each end of the central truck plate, two bearing members on 4each end of each truck frame having the adjacent alining bar extended through them, washers on each alining bar between said bearing members, a spring between each pair of washers, said alining bars each being provided with shoulders arranged to engage said washers when the truck frames are moved in either direction out of parallelism to thereby engage and compress the adjacent spring, and a connecting bar pivoted centrally to each truck frame. ,Y

4L. In a device of the class described, the combination of two independent truck frames, an axle in each and wheels on each axle, two bearing members on each end oi each truck spaced apart from each other, a central truck plate, four alining bars pivoted to said central truck plate, one being extended through the bearing members on each end of each truck, each alining bar being provided with a shoulder and also with a sleeve detachably fixed thereto, an extensible coil spring on each alining bar and washers at the ends of the springs to engage said shoulder and sleeve on the alining bar and also to engage the adjacent ends of the bearing members, and a connecting bar pivoted centrally at its ends to said truck frame.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of two independent truck frames, an axle in each, flanged wheels on each axle, a central truck plate, two supporting bars pivoted to each end of the central support-ing plateand extended in opposite directions and capable of swing-l ing in a horizontal plane, and hangers pivoted to the truck frames and also to the said supporting bars.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of two independent truck frames, an axle in each, flanged wheels on each axle, a central truck plate, two supporting bars pivoted to each end of the central supporting plate and extended in opposite directions and capable of swinging in a horizontal plane, hangers pivoted to the truck frames and also to the said supporting bars, a bolster above said central truck plate, guide bolts extended through the plate and the bolster, and cushioning springs on said guide bolts between the bolster and the plate.

` 7. An improved railway truol, compris V ing two independenttruok frames, an axle in each, flanged wheels on each axle, an upper and a lower central truck plate, means for connecting their ends to hold them in alinement one above the other, alining bars pvoted to the ends of the upper truck plate, bearing members on the ends of the truck frames having said alining bars inserted therein, springs interposed between the alining bars and said bearing members tending to hold the truck frames with their axles in parallel positions, supporting bars pivsupported on the lower truck plate, and a connecting bar pivoted centrally to the said truck frames, substantially as and for the purposes stated.

Des Moines, Iowa, May 20, 1910.

ALBERT M. CLARK. Witnesses:

FRANK BRENWICKE, R. W. CALDWELL. 

